Tank car



1,620,453 March 1927' E. A. FALL TANK CAR Filed June 27, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. A. FALL TANK CAR March 8,

Filed June 27. 1923 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lg Z 6cm news March 8, 1927. 1,620,453

E. A. FALL TANK cm Filed June 1923 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

EDWARD-A. .FALL, .0 BUTEEBE0,BD,-NEW ERSE TANFK CAB.

Application filed June 27, 1923. Serial No. 648,1?1.

'llhepresent invention relates to improvements "in. tank cars, and particularly to means for heating the outlets of such cars in 'Which liquid or semi-liquid materials are transported.

The outlets ofthe tanks of tank cars empl'oyed for transporting such materials, as asphaltum, 'ancl s imila'r bitumen products, frequentlygbecoine clogged, especially, in cold weatherfand to enable the, contents ofthe tank to be.drawntherefrom, it is necessary to apply heatv to,the outlets.

The particularobject of the present invention is provide a means whereby the outletofsuclrl atank car Will be heated, and. the heating medium employed also used to heatthe body of the tank'adjacent the outlet, so as to facilitatethe flow of material to such outlet.

In the accompanying drawings l a View in partial elevation and part section ofa.tankl'carbutlet having an embodiment of i the. present invention applied 'ther etom i Fig. 2,is a vieW.substantiallyon thellne 2 2Iof'Fig. 1 l

Fig. 3 isa view, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a slightly, difierent' embodiment of the invention.

Fig". 4 is a detail,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of another embodiment.

Fig'l'o is a section substantially on the line 6*16. 'O'f'Figffif Fig; 'T'is alsection on a line substantially at, right angles to the plane 0t section of Fig. ot' the parts shown in Figures; 5 and ,6." i

Inthe drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding; parts in the several views; only a small portion of the tank and "supporting parts ofth'e car frame are illustrated, and .such illustration isimore or l s onv ntipnel- Referring toth'e'drawings, 1 designates a paiizloffhean s or girders ,ofth'e car frame, shownasrbeing formed'of angle iron, and 2 ndicats flpe tion o i h a tomfof l bta meare friomt fr m and. pr vi d ilit an ape ture 3,.. 9i h c i j b y e u s 1 ependin ale. h ws" end of the outlet 4 is threaded, as at 5, for the'attachment of a suitable nozzle, not shown.

A suitable casing'is supportedto surround the outlet at, and isprovid'ed, adjacent its lower end, vvith an inlet 6 adaptedtohe' con1- nected to a pipe or conduit, through whih any suitable heating medium, such steam, may besupplied totheinterior'qf'tliecasing and caused to heat the- Wall of thje' 'depending outlet 4;.

Preferably, as shown, the casinpgjs in the form of a sleevehavi'ng an insulating layer 7' in its side all, ande5:pand ed, asses.

adj acent-it's upper end. A gasket 9 {is fitted in a groove in'theupper' end 'oftl esleeve like casing, and the-latterfis so supported from the car nam thatth ellrin .or; gasket t) is forced into" close contact Withthe-baseof the outlet "4, 01" the surroundingportion-of the ,7 tank bottom, to make a fluid-"tight pint therewith.

The sleeve or casing isclosed at its lower end by a flexible diaphragm 1'0 a'fiertu'red to receive the outlet 4," said: flexi'bl'e bottom being, as shown, defieo t eddovvnvvardand contacting With thesidWall off 'thefoutl'et, as at 11. This provides construction-by which the heating medium Willv be prevented from escapingfdownvvard about the'joutlet, b'ut plurality of apertures 12 are provided in the upper; enlarged, portion of the casing, througHwhich the heating medium may escape therefrom.

' In the embodiment oft-he invention illus trated in' Figs. 1 and Q', the casing" is pro vide'd' with diametrically opposite, laterally projecting; arms '13, which" 'ezitendf (was the upper flanges of the car framefmeinbers' 1, and in each of' said arms is forn'ied 'an"inter nally threaded passage tln ou g hwhich eX tends afscr ew 14'." Said screwfsextnd down Ward from the arms 13 and'be'arupon the upper 'l'langes of the supporting, beams fl. It will .be seen that by turningfth'e' screws l4, the armslf; and the casing 'ivill be moved upward, and the gasket 9 compressed against thetank bottom or the base of the outlet 4, and the casing securely clalnped'in such elevated position.

Means arej provided whereby the steam,

or other heating medium, escaping from the openings 12, is guided along the bottom of the tank in the direction of the length of the beams 1, instead of escaping directly into the air, so that the full heating effect of such medium may be utilized and applied to the contents of the tank.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a channel, extending longitudinally of the beams 1, and between such beams and the bottom of the tank, is formed by filler blocks or strips 20. Said strips are of such height as to fit closely between the top flanges of the beams 1 and the bottom of the tank, and, if desired, suitable securing means may be provided for retaining them in position. Suitable notches or recesses are formed in the strips 20 to receive the ends of the arms 13, and the screws 14, by which such arms are connected to the car frame beams. If desired, the recesses may be shaped to conform to the contour of the arms 13, in which case the strips 20 are divided, as at 21, as shown in full lines in the drawing. However, it may be preferred to merely form the recesses or notches of rectangular form, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in this event, the filler strips may be continuous from end to end.

By this arrangement, it will be seen that the heating medium, passing through the openings 12, will be guided in a direction longitudinal of the beams 1 along the bottom of the tank in both directions from the outlet 4, and the heat thereof utilized to maintain the contents of the tank in a fluid condition, so that they will readily flow from the outlet which has also been sufiiciently heated to prevent congealing of the tank contents therein.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the invention is illustrated as applied to a different type of tank car from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this embodiment of the invention, the casing surrounding the tank outlet is supported by posts 22 from arms 23 that are secured by bolts 24 to the lower flanges of the car frame beams or girders 1, and extend inwardly therefrom. The uprights are .shown as provided with enlarged heads 25 from which extend upwardly studs 26 that engage suitable sockets or apertures in the enlarged upper end of the casing. Reinforcing blocks 29 are preferably arranged between the heads 25 of the supporting posts and the annular flanges surrounding the upper end of the casing.

In this embodiment of the invention, the tank 2 is provided with depending parallel flanges 27 that extend downward between the car frame beams 1, and the portions of these flanges between the tops of the beams 1 and the bottom of the tank form a channel receiving the heating medium that escapes from the openings 12. As shown, said flanges are portions of angle iron plates, the other members 28 of which are suitably secured to the tank bottom.

Instead of forming the channel by which the heating medium, escaping from the casing surrounding the tank outlet, is conducted along the bottom of the tank by members independent of the casing and cooperating with the tank and the supporting beams 1 of the car as described, suitable trough-like members 30 may be secured directly to the upper portion of the casing, as by rivets 31, the upturned side flanges of such trouglrlike members extending into contact with the tank bottom, and forn'iing channels into which the apertures 12 in the casing open.

It will be seen that in all of the embodiments of the invention, means are provided whereby the steam or other heating medium, applied to the casing surrounding the tank outlet, is conducted along the bottom of the tank after escaping from said casing.

There can, of course, be modification of some of the parts illustrated without departing from the invention, and, therefore, unless the same are particularly referred to in the appended claims, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank I discharge aperture in its vertical wall ad- 1 jacent its upper end whereby the heating medium passing through said discharge aperture will contact with the bottom of the tank body outside of said casing.

2. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, of a casing surrounding the tank outlet and provided with an inlet for a heating medium, and having a plurality of discharge apertures in its vertical wall, and means providing a plurality of channels for the heating medium along the bottom of the body of the tank car, each communicating with one of said discharge apertures, for the purpose described.

3. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, of a casing surrounding the tank outlet and provided with an inlet for a heating medium and having a plurality of discharge apertures in its vertical wall, and means providing two channels for the heating medium extending in opposite directions from said er in alon vthe ba e ieat the b lly. at th ank e l-fend Bash i rea i eet eeavitlli 9. 1 th esaageapeimes in the casing,

'1 The coiehinatiear th a tank. an, hav ing'an outlet for thecontents ofthef tank erentliee vte r the aeklaesi i e sin sai -wad n said der ndi gtaak u let and having 'f le li l heat e fleeeiael. and 1 dialer/ea a rt reanel m ea l l tieeesr' nsth' a in medium- .9,. t 'r alpa the tank bottoin faften leavin said oasing.

5. The combination i a car, having anpnuet rqr the contents ofthetan depending from'the tank body, of acajsing surrounding said depending tank" outlet and having an inlet for a heating mediumand a discharge aperture, and "means forming a channel extending along the bottom of the tankwith which the discharge aperture of said casing communicates.

6. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, a casing surrounding the tank outlet and having an opening in its bottom through which the outlet extends, said casing being provided with an inlet for a heating medium and a lateral discharge aperture adjacent its upper end, and means for conducting the heating medium passing through said discharge aperture along the adjacent bottom portion of the tank.

7. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, a sleeve supported about the tank outlet with its upper end forming a fluid tight joint with the tank bottom, and a flexible bottom closing the space between the lower end of said sleeve and the tank outlet, said sleeve being provided with an inlet for a heating medium.

8. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, a sleeve supported about the tank outlet with its upper end forming a fluid tight joint with the tank bottom, means closing the space between the lower end of said sleeve and the adjacent wall of the tank outlet, said sleeve being provided with an inlet for a heating medium and a discharge aperture for such medium, and means for conducting the heating medium from said discharge aperture along the bottom of the tank.

9. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body between parallel beams of the car frame, of a casing surrounding the tank outlet between said beams and supported from the latter with its upper end in close contact with the tank, said casing being provided with an inlet for a heating medium and with a discharge aperture for such medium, and means forming a channel extending along the bottom aperture the casing communicates. 1 0. The combination with. a, tank car including a frame provided with parallel beams anda tank on the frame having an outletpfor the contents thereof extending downward between said beams, of a sleeve supported by said beams about the tank outlet with its upper'end in close contact with theLtank body, and means closing the spacebetween the lower end of said sleeve and I the tank outlet, said sleeve beingprovided with an inlet for a heatingv med um and discharge aperture permitting the heating medium t6 passtherefrom into contactwiththe body o'f'the tank. 11. The combination with a tankcar including a frame provided with parallel beams and a tank on the frame having an outlet for the contents thereof extending downward between said beams, of a casing surrounding the tank outlet and having an inlet for a heating medium and a discharge aperture for such medium, and means interposed between the tank and beams and form ing a channel with which said discharge aperture communicates.

12. The combination with a tank car including a frame provided with parallel of etaakand wi w ch t e sc ar e beams and a tank 011 the frame having an outlet for the contents thereof extending downward between said beams, of a casing surrounding the tank outlet and having an inlet for a heating medium and a discharge aperture for such medium, and means interposed between the tank and beams and forming a channel extending along the bottom of the tank in the direction of the length of the beams with which said discharge aperture communicates.

13. The combination with a tank car including a frame provided with parallel beams and a tank on the frame having an outlet for the contents thereof extending downward between said beams, of a sleeve supported from said beams and surrounding the depending tank outlet, adjustable means for maintaining a fluid tight connection between the upper end of said sleeve and the tank, means closing the space between the lower end of the sleeve and the tank outlet, said sleeve having an inlet for a heating medium and an aperture through which said medium may pass from the space about the tank outlet.

14. The combination with a tank car including a frame provided with parallel beams and a tank on the frame having an outlet for the contents thereof extendin downward between said beams, the bottom of the tank being vertically spaced from the beams adjacent said outlet, a casing surrounding the tank outlet and having an inlet for a heating medium and a discharge aperture through which said medium can pass t ii iii) from the casing, and means between the beams and tank forming a channel with which the said discharge aperture of the easing communicates.

15. The combination with a tank car including a frame provided with parallel beams and a tank on the frame having an outlet for the contents thereof extending downward between said beams, and a casing surrounding the tank outlet and having diametrically opposite projecting arms extending over said beams and supporting the casing therefrom, said casing having an inlet for a heating medium.

16. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, of a casing surrounding, said tank outlet and having an inlet for a heating medium and a discharge aperture for such medium, and a 1 member of channel form in cross section secured to and projecting laterally from said casing in alignment with the discharge aperture therein.

17. The combination with a tank car having an outlet for the contents of the tank depending from the tank body, of a casing surrounding said tank outlet and having an inlet for a heating medium and a plurality of discharge apertures for such medium, and two diametrically opposite members of channel form in cross section, each commuuicating with a discharge aperture in the casing.

In testimony whereol' I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD A. FALL. 

